Improved washing-machine



lnibad gnant GEORGE BRAD`SHAW, 0F SANDOVAL, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent N 90,231, dated`May 18, y1869.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the sam` To all whom it may concernJ Beit known that I, GEORGE BnAnsuAw,of Sandoval, in the county of Marion, and State of Illinois, have nvented'a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the samc, sniicient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the same,

reference being had to the'accompanyng drawings,

- inafter described.

Similar letters oi' reference indicate corresponding parts in t-ne two igures.

In the drawings- A represents a platform, of any suitable construction, from the sides of' which rise standards l5 B.

In thc tops of these standards .are formed bearings ibi' a shaft, a, att-ached to the under side of a tub, or box C. r

D D are flat springs, secured to the upper side of the platform A. 'The ends ofthe tub, or box C, rest on these springs.

I prei'erto make the tub rectangular, and with a closed top, a space being left to give access to the interior, which space is covered by a hinged lid, b.

c is a vertical projection, extending entirely across the top ofthe box. l,

E is alever, fitted in straps, (shown in dotted lines,) on one side of the box.

F represents the beater, which is made of separate sections, c', between which are interposed flat trans- ,verse strips :l at the ends, whereby an open structure is produced, through which water passes readily.

The beater is provided with rollers e, which run on ways, f, fixed at the sides of the bottom of the tub.

q is a handle, secured on top the beater F.

The operation of my improved washing-machine is as follows:

The clothes to be washed are placed in the tub, to gether with water or soap-siuls, after which the cover is shut down.

Now, by means of the handle, au up-anddown motion is given to the box, which causes the beater to move back and fort-h rapidly and forcibly, pounding the clothes at each end of the tub.

`lhe springs 1) serve to render the motion of the box easy, and materially lighten the labor of operating the machine.

lThe object oi' placing the rod, or shaft, at the bot tom of the tub is to render the motion of the box strictly up and down.

It is evident that if the trunnions were situated above the bottom, the box would have a, swinging or rocking movement.

Bythe up-and-down motion the stroke of the beater is made more rapid and strong, and consequently more effect-ive, and the labor of operating the machine is lessened.

It will be seen that the frictiourollers at the bottom of the beater not only perform the ordinary functions of friction-rollers, but they also prevent the tearing ofthe clothes between the bottom of the beater and the bottom of the box C, the pounding 'of the clothes being done at the ends of the box C.

I am aware that oscillating boxes, loose beaters, and springs have been used heretofore in washing-machines, as in the patents of T. King, July 3, 1849, and J. W. \Voodward, September 17 1867, and others, and there` fore I do not claim them broadly; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`7 The combination and arrangement of the box 0, with ways f, open beater F, provided with frictionrollers e, performing the double function described, rod a., lever E, and springs D, all constructed and operated in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

. GEORGE BRADSHAW.

Witnesses:

H. R. SHERMAN, WILLIAM STEWART. 

